Here's How I Found The Perfect Travel Rewards Card For My Lifestyle

I'm constantly flying around the US, so I've been itching to find a frequent flier credit card to help me make the most of my money.

Since I'm new to the rewards game, I rang up Brian Kelly, The Points Guy, for expert advice.

With his help, we rated a few cards based on annual fees, sign-on bonuses, miles needed for a free domestic flight, and other perks.

Kelly stresses the importance of knowing your spending habits. Dining and travel are two of my musts (after rent!), so I was good on that count.

He also suggests familiarizing yourself with three basic types of travel rewards cards:

Transferable points — Kelly's favorite, these typically come with an annual fee, meaning you get what you pay for. Points are usually transferable to many different airlines, offer the most options and the best sign-on bonuses.

Fixed value — These are for "people who don't want to play the value game," Kelly says. The industry standard is 1 cent per point (10,000 points = $100 towards flights/hotels/gift cards/etc). You'll always know what you're getting, and you'll always earn miles for flights you book, so it's easy to maintain an elite status.

Co-branded cards — What you lose in flexibility in terms of transferring points to different airlines, you gain in perks with these cards, says Kelly. Benefits may include lounge access, free checked bags, elite flier status, etc.

I'm not loyal to any particular airline or hotel, so I nixed the co-branded cards. And between the transferable points cards and fixed value cards, paying an annual fee might give me more options and value. I started reviewing transferable points cards.